Multi-billionaire Hermès heir to award 51-year-old gardener $11B fortune, $5.9M in properties

In an unexpected turn of events in the luxury world, Nicolas Puech, the multi-billionaire heir to Hermès, the iconic luxury brand known for its exquisite handbags, has reportedly decided to bestow half his fortune upon his 51-year-old gardener.

Having no children and facing a rift with board members of his own charitable organisation, eighty-year-old Puech has reportedly decided to bequeath half of his €12 billion (£10.3 billion) fortune to his 51-year-old former gardener.

The Hermès scion is seeking to sever the financial ties with his own charitable foundation, he established in 2011 to fund “the protection and promotion of public debate”.

In a defiant move, the Isocrates Foundation, chaired by Puech himself and a six-member board, issued a statement on Tuesday formally "opposing" his decision to nullify the inheritance contract.

The foundation said it “isn’t in a position to judge the process or context” of the reports that Puech wished to adopt his former employee.

“From a legal standpoint, the abrupt and unilateral annulment of a succession agreement appears void and unfounded,” the foundation said in a statement. “The foundation has opposed this move, while leaving the door open to discussion with its founder and president.”

Nicolas Puech, currently estranged from his family, has reportedly initiated legal proceedings to formally adopt his former gardener and handyman, whose name remains undisclosed, according to Swiss publication Tribune de Genève.

According to the newspaper, the unidentified man, originally from Morocco, is married with two children. Puech considers them as his "children" and "adopted son." 

Puech's lawyer declined to comment directly, they hinted he might soon address the situation publicly in a press conference, “to separate the fact from the fiction and to dispel some of the nonsense that has been reported in the media”.

Hermès' market value has ballooned to a staggering €209 billion, driven by a post-pandemic boom in demand for luxury goods, a fourfold increase since 2020. Sitting on a golden throne of Hermès shares, Puech's 5.7% stake translates to a whopping €12 billion, making him one of the world's wealthiest heirs.